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Springbok utility back Ethan Hooker is expecting a physical battle from Italy during their Outgoing Tour Test match at the Allianz Stadium in Turin on Saturday (14.40pm).
Hooker, who made his Test debut against Italy during the Castle Lager Incoming Series, said the Azzurri will be full of confidence after they stunned Australia last weekend.
“They have very good backs who are extremely physical and they have great playmakers, so I think it would be a perfect test for us. The keys for us will be to front up physically, take whatever comes our way, stick to our structures and then just perform as well as we can.”
“They’ll take huge confidence from last week because the Wallabies are a quality team. They’ll definitely take the things they learned from that game and try to use it against us as well,” Hooker added.
The Boks are on a high after they beat France last weekend to stay on top of the rankings but Hooker said they are not favourites against the Italians who are ranked 10th.
“World rankings are important for the World Cup draw, but going into this game, it doesn’t mean much to us. It’s all about how the team pitches up on the day, so we don’t look much into that.
“They’ve beaten us in Italy before (in 2016), and they are going to come out and give their best, so we have to match them and be better than them on the day to get the result.”
Another Springbok utility back Damian Willemse said he is looking forward to playing at the new Allianz Stadium, which is the home of the football club Juventus.
“I’m a big football fan and even though I support Arsenal, it’s going to be an incredible atmosphere to play at the stadium. I’m sure it will be the first time many of the players play there,” said Willemse.
“But the most important thing for us is to get our detail right this week and enjoy Saturday.”
Hooker added : “I’ve never been to the stadium, and I’ve always liked Juventus as a team, so I’m very excited to play there.”
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